Submitting Campus
Daytona Beach
Department
Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology
Document Type
Article
Publication/Presentation Date
2020
Abstract/Description
This research presents several aspects of anonymous social media postings using an anonymous social media application (i.e., Yik Yak) that is GPS-linked to college campuses. Anonymous social media been widely criticized for postings containing threats/harassment, vulgarity and suicidal intentions. However, little research has empirically examined the content of anonymous social media postings, and whether they contain a large quantity of negative social content. To best understand this phenomenon an analysis of the content of anonymous social media posts was conducted in accordance with Deindividuation Theory (Reicher, Spears, & Postmes, 1995). Deindividuation Theory predicts group behavior is congruent with group norms. Therefore, if a group norm is antisocial in nature, then so too will be group behavior. In other words, individuals relinquish their individual identity to a group identity, while they are a part of that group. Since the application used in this study is limited to a radial distance around specific college campuses, we predicted the anonymous social media users would identify as students, and behave closer to the norms expected of a student. Our results confirm that while deindividuation did occur among the college students, it did not exceed what is considered normal behavior for the social identity of a student.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Davidson, S. S., Bradshaw Hoppock, A., Rohmeyer, R. A., Keebler, J., & Frederick, C. M. (2020). Deindividuation in Anonymous Social Media: Does Anonymous Social Media Lead to an Increase in Non-Normative Behavior?. , (). Retrieved from https://commons.erau.edu/publication/1414
